Rain actuated window closer



y 19.50 A. MUMENTHALEfi 2,507,318

RAIN ACTUATED WINDOW CLOSER Filed Dec. 15, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ALFRED MUMENTHALER BY zrm ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deb. 15, 1947 HVVENTUR. ALFRED MUMENTHALER Patented May 9, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIN ACTUATED WINDOW CLOSER Alfred Mumenthaler, Washington, D. C., assignor to Jane W. Bangs, Washington, D. 0.

Application December 15, 1947, Serial No. 791,713 (01. 268-123) 3 Claims.

will tear or rupture when moistened, automatically releasing latching means to permit actuation of a spring-operated mechanism designed to move a window sash or the like to a closed position.

It is frequently necessary for occupants of houses and apartments to be absent therefrom for several hours and it is customary during the summer months to close the windows in living quarters to prevent water from entering the windows should there be a sudden storm. Rooms are, therefore, inadequately ventilated and temperatures therein are abnormally high. This invention is intended to obviate these conditions and permit the occupant, while absent, to leave windows open.

'' One end of a spiral spring 12 is fastened to the housing by means of a rivet l3, the other or inner end of the spring being secured to shaft l4 journaled in the side of the housing. This shaft extends through the housing and has keyed or otherwise fastened thereto a disc l5 having therein a recess l6 accommodating a slidable pawl ll urged radially outward by spring I8. Rotatably mounted on shaft I4 is a spool consisting of an annular ring I!) and separate circular flanges 2|, 2| held to the ring and to each other 2 thus forming a connection between the ring and disc I5. Ring I9 is also provided with a recess It is an object of the invention to provide mechanism which, when positioned in adjacent relation to a window, will automatically close the window should rain come in contact with the mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to provide means for regulating the tension or pull on the window closing mechanism to permit adjustment thereof in accordance with the force required to close the window.

It is a further object of the invention to provide inexpensive and replaceable means responsive to moisture as an element of the releasing mechanism.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention when taken with the drawings illustrating a preferred form thereof and in which Fig. l is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top view, partly in section, of the device;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 5-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section, similar to Fig. 6, with the latch release in another position;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 88 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 3-9 of Fig. 5.

In the drawings there is shown a spring housing in having a removable cover plate i I secured in .place by means to be described hereinafter.

24 through which a screw-threaded pin 25 passes, the pin forming an anchor for flexible cord 26 adapted to be wound around the spool. The free end of the cord has attached thereto a ring 21 or the like for connection to a part of a movable window sash. In Figs. 6 and 8 it will be seen that there is formed integral with shaft M an annular flange 28 having a plurality of ratchet like notches 29 in its periphery.

Attached to what will be designated as the top of the spring housing by means of screws 30' is a bracket 3| comprising an inverted channel-- ever, that arm 36 is provided with an extension 31 adapted, when'moving clockwise as seen'in Fig. '7, to engage finger 38 on the latch member to rock the latter. Normally the release arm and latch member occupy the position shown in Fig.

7, arm 36 being urged to this position by spring 39 surrounding rod 4| and bearing against flange 42 on the bracket and nut 43 on the rod. The rod is pivotally fastened to arm 36 at M. There is also secured to arm 36 a finger piece 45 having an offset portion 46 adapted to be engaged by a ribbon 41 of material such as paper which, when moistened, readily ruptures or breaks. The paper ribbon is folded over the finger offset and, after the finger has been lowered and spring 39 thereby compressed, the free ends of the ribbon are clamped between bracket 3| and a movable clamping plate 48, the latter being urged into clamping position by nut 49 on the threaded post 5| which passes through the clamping plate. The clamping plate is provided with a collar through which post also passes, this collar bearing against spring 52 surrounding the post and abutting the opposite side of the bracket so that when the nut is loosened the clamping plate is urged away from the bracket.

The housing is supported by a bracket 53 secured thereto by screws 54. These screws together with screwsv 39 hold the housing between the'flanges of the lower and upper brackets and thus retain the cover plate ll, those screws on the cover side of the housin threading into. tapped holes in the cover plate so that the latter is constrained against either lateral or rotary movement when the parts of the device are assembled.

In operation the cord 28 is woundaround the spool and the latter rotated thereby until.

spiral spring 12 is wound with suiiicient tightness readily to exert the necessary pull'on the window sash to which it is attached by means of ring 2! to close the window; Because of the one-way clutch connection between the spool and the spring, the window may be, moved manually toward its closed position without disturbing the latching mechanism to permit further winding of the spring, thus permitting adjustment of the closingmechanism to insure suiiicient storage of power in the spring to close the window when the latch is released; As indicated in the drawings, there are two recesses i23'to permit oscillation of the spool through arcs of less than 360 with subsequent reengagement of the clutch parts. It should be noted-that, when finger 45' is held down by the paper ribbon, the latch member 35 may be manipulated to engage or disengage the notches 29while adjustments are being made.

It is obvious from the foregoing description of the mechanismand its operation that there is provided by the present invention an auto-- matic rain responsive closure operator capable ofadjustment to meet the variations in'rforce necessary to close windows of different types andweights. Even where windows may be of the same size and weight, because of irregularities or ill-fittings the friction to be overcome may vary over a wide scale. The present mechanism is designed to overcome these difliculties;

It is also apparent that the cord can be wound around the spool only in the proper direction to tighten the spring because if: it is wound in the reverse direction the cord cannotbe pulled, the one-way clutch :thus preventing reverse winding.

While the embodiment illustrated and described is intended to lower vertically sliding sashes, it is obvious. that it is readily adapted to: close other types of windows whether they be sliding or swinging sashes. While paper ribbons are preferred, there: are other materials which react similarly under thestated conditions and it is, therefore, intended that their use be contemplatedin practicing the invention.

Having described my-invention what I claimas new anddesire-to. secure by Letters Patent is: 1. Mechanism for closing a window comprising 6 a rotatable shaft, a spring: secured at one end to said shaft. means for fixedly anchoring the other end of said spring, a spool, a one-way clutch connecting said spool and said shaft, a flexible element secured at one end to the window and at its other end to said spool, said element being adapted to be wound on said spool and to rotate said shaft to store power in said spring, latching means for constraining said shaft against rotation, means rupturable when moistened for holding said latching means in latching relation to said shaft, and means operable when said holding means is ruptured for releasing said latching means to permit said spring to close the window.

2. Mechanism for closing a window comprisin a rotatable shaft, a spring secured at one end to said shaft, meansfor fixedly anchoring the other end of said spring, a spool, a one-way clutch connecting saidspool and said shaft, a flexible element secured at one end to the window and at its other end to said'spcol, said element being adapted to be wound on said spool and: to rotate said shaft to store power in said spring, an annular flange on said shaft, said flange: having a plurality of notches in its periphery; latching means selectively engageabie in any one of said notches to constrain said shaft against rotation, means rupturable when moistened for holdin said latching means in engagement with said one notch, and means operable when said holding means is ruptured for releasing saidl latching means from said one notch to permit said'spring to close the window.

3. A latching mechanism for a window closer of the class described, comprising. a shaft, a pair? of rockable arms independently pivoted on said:

shaft, means on one of said arms for engaging the other of said armswhen said'one arm is:

rotated in one direction only, spring means for rocking said one arm in said one direction, said other arm being engageabe. with arotatable member to prevent rotation thereof'and being: disengaged from the rotatable member when said one arm engages said other arm, ,said'onearm" urging said other arm out of engagement with:

said rotatable member when the one arm engages the other, means for holding said one arm out of engagement with said other arm, said holding means being rupturable when moistened, and" REFERENCES CITED 1 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 561,820 Schiller June 9, 1896 1,184,464 Linse May 23, 1916 1,885,183 Collins Nov. 1, 1932 1,897,708 Nastrom Feb. 14, 1933 2,154,229 Clement Apr. 11, 1939-: 

